PRO-ASUU, CAN STREET PROTESTS PLAN: AREWA GROUP WANTS NEW DATE FOR PARTY PRIMARIES

…Date change means respect for sanctity of the life of Nigerians

The Arewa Youth Consultative Forum( AYCF) has cautioned Nigeria and INEC against conducting political party primaries in the face of planned street protests by students in solidarity with ASUU and the recent directive by CAN for Christian faithfuls to hold street protests over the death if a female Christian in Sokoto.

A statement signed by the group’s National President, Yerima Usman Shettima, advised that the conduct of primary elections should be on the basis of valid security report about safety of voters and electoral officials across Nigeria.

The stance of the group, according to the statement, followed a “consultations” of the group with “other relevant stakeholders” on the state of the nation and the forthcoming political party primaries across the nation unless than two weeks from now.

“Holding party primaries across many States of the Federation ( North and South) at the moment may not be feasible because of the growing tensions everywhere”, the AYCF sounded a word of warning.

“There is the planned nationwide students’ protests in solidarity with ASUU.

“And media reports suggest that the Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN) has directed all the state chapters of the religious body to embark on nationwide street protests over the death of a female student accused of blasphemy in Sokoto State”, AYCF said.

The statement also drew attention to what it described as “the massive killing of non-indigene traders by unknown gunmen in the Southeast and attack of government facilities”, saying these have not yet abated.

They also lamented the growing incidence of kidnapping, insurgency, gun-running, a flourishing illegal drugs business and “cultists clashes that leave many innocent souls dead and politically-motivated violence”, which they warnes have all “not been successfully reduced to the barest minimum yet.”

The statement however, commended INEC Chairman Professor Yakubu for what they consider his sense of justice in the discharge of his national duties at INEC.

“We stand to be corrected, but we believe Professor Yakubu has repeatedly demonstrated a respect for justice and we are hopeful he will stick to the straight path” and urged him to “sustain this tempo” of his efforts.

“We urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reconsider the announced date, or at best, stagger the primaries based on security and intelligence information from the various states, especially in well-known flashpoints of violence and arson.

“We urge the security and intelligence service to guide INEC on the safest places to conduct primaries without endangering the lives of innocent voters.
“Most importantly, life is so valuable that we cannot afford to sacrifice it on the grounds of discharging our civic duties. Ordinarily, only people who are alive can vote and voted for”, Shettima stressed in the statement.